Happy April! Complementing this month’s theme, the League is hoping to finally get some gardening/growing initiatives started this summer. Topping our want list are Guerrilla Gardening organizers and a flowery militia to wage war on ugly and inappropriately used spaces. These highly trained radicals could plant flowers in unkempt places or plant thorny but lovely Explorer roses in alleys known for drinking and disorder – think of it as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) with flowers! We can strike terror into the heart of disorder with Seed Bombers exploding “bombs” of self-seeding flowers into our empty lots. Less militant and flashy, but equally great, would be organizing gardening exchange teams: working on one project a week at each team member’s yard (or neighbourhood site). Lots of cool stuff we could do with great returns – we just need the volunteers.

Our “surprise” AGM will have been at the end of March. This is a result of a change in City grant requirements that Leagues were notified of with very little time for organizing AGMs. Sorry for anyone who would have liked to attend but didn’t get sufficient notice to plan it in. You’re welcome to attend one of our regular meetings – check the website for dates and call or email.

A myriad of meetings were going on in the background last month. Of special importance was the ongoing “consultation” regarding the Arena’s Community Benefits Package (a negotiated benefit to the City from participation in the Arena project). This meeting was disappointing. Major issues include no clear definition of “Community” or “Benefit” and a lack of clarity as to scope, potential, and goals. Your League executive is working to stay on top of this and engaging our neighbouring communities to prevent potential issues, ensure mechanisms are in place when problems occur, and to try to capture as many benefits as possible. If you have any suggestions for Community Benefits or Arena concerns please email.

The most significant is the win is the Ambrose Place (9629 106 Avenue) court case. It is now unequivocal that this Development Permit was expired and all work that occurred at that site was without valid permits. As of today, work is stopped on the site and we are working hard to clarify what happens next and ensure that this never occurs again.

The new Commonwealth Rec Centre is now open and it is splendid. McCauley Community League Members will get two hour access at 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10% off memberships. Block to Block is proving to be a lot of work to start but it’s coming along. Soccer registration was again a huge success – thanks to Grace for leading on this. Warm weather has ended our rink season – great work and huge thanks to Fr. Jim, Dan, David, and everyone else (the list is huge) who made this such a success.

A huge Planning/Zoning workload befell us in March. Look to next month’s issue for a full update. The most significant is the win in the Ambrose Place (9629 106 Avenue) court case. It is now unequivocal that this Development Permit was expired and all work that occurred at that site was without valid permits. As of today, work is stopped on the site and we are working hard to clarify what happens next and ensure that this never occurs again. We are still awaiting a verdict on the Excel Grand Manor case (97 Street and 111 Avenue).

Help your neighbours make your neighbourhood a greater place to live, work, and play. Join the League and volunteer. Visit us at McCauley.info or on Facebook at McCauley Community League. Contact us at info@mccauley.info or (780) 428-5332.